Endosseous dental implants including a healing screw and an optional implant extender

Abstract

Root-form, endosseous dental implants for insertion into an opening in the jawbone of a patient include a body portion, a neck and/or neck/abutment portion above the body portion, and an internally-threaded shaft; a separate optional implant extender for placement atop the implant with a top surface that mimics the top surface of the implant, and includes a longitudinal passage that receives a healing screw, and a healing screw with a threaded distal end portion to pass through the longitudinal passage, engage the internal threads of the implant and hold the extender to the implant, or to cover the opening to the internally-threaded shaft of the implant where the optional extender is omitted.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An endossecous, root-form dental implant for insertion into an opening in the jawbone of a patient including: 
       a body portion;  
       an internally-threaded shaft extending into said implant from the top surface of said implant;  
       a healing screw comprising a head portion joined to a threaded shank portion, said head portion having a size and shape sufficient to cover a proximal opening into said shaft;  
       an implant extender having a top surface that substantially replicates the top surface of said implant, said extender having a distal end portion of a size and shape sufficient to engage and seat upon said implant atop said body portion, said extender including an internal longitudinal passage of sufficient size and shape to permit the threaded distal end portion of said healing screw to pass through said longitudinal passage, said passage including an opening in its proximal end having a size and shape complementary to the size and shape of the head portion of said healing screw;  
       said internally-threaded shaft of said implant having a threaded region sufficiently long to engage said threaded distal end portion of said healing screw with said implant extender in place atop said implant and with the undersurface of the head portion of said healing screw covering the opening to said extender or, if said extender is absent, covering the opening into said internally-threaded shaft of said implant.  
     
     
       2. The implant of claim  1  further comprising internal wrench-engaging surfaces inside said internally-threaded shaft, or external wrench-engaging surfaces projecting from the top of said implant. 
     
     
       3. The implant of claim  1  or claim  2  wherein the top of said neck portion and/or said abutment portion has a size and shape adapted to form a sealed margin with a prosthetic attachment. 
     
     
       4. The implant of claim  1  or claim  2  wherein said body portion is externally-threaded. 
     
     
       5. The implant of claim  2  wherein said wrench-engaging surfaces project from the top of said implant and have 4 to 8 flat, contiguous sides, or a plurality of splines. 
     
     
       6. An endosseous, root-form dental implant for insertion into an opening in the jawbone of a patient including: 
       a body portion including a neck portion formed above said body portion and including a top surface;  
       an internally-threaded shaft extending into said implant from the top surface of said implant;  
       a healing screw comprising a head portion joined to a threaded shank portion, said head portion having a size and shape sufficient to cover a proximal opening into said shaft;  
       an implant extender having a top surface that substantially replicates the top surface of said implant, said extender having a distal end portion of a size and shape sufficient to engage and conform to the top surface of said implant, said extender including an internal longitudinal passage of sufficient size and shape to permit the threaded distal end portion of a healing screw to pass through said longitudinal passage, said passage including an opening in its proximal end having a size and shape complementary to the size and shape of the head of said healing screw;  
       said internally-threaded shaft of said implant having a threaded region sufficiently long to engage said threaded distal end portion of said healing screw with said implant extender in place atop said implant and with the undersurface of the head portion of said healing screw covering the opening to said extender or, if said extender is absent, covering the opening into said internally-threaded shaft of said implant.  
     
     
       7. The implant of claim  6  further comprising an internal wrench-engaging surfaces inside said internally-threaded shaft, or external wrench-engaging surfaces projecting from the top of said implant. 
     
     
       8. The implant of claim  7  wherein said wrench-engaging surfaces project from the top of said implant and have from 4 to 8 flat, contiguous sides, or a plurality of splines. 
     
     
       9. The implant of claim  6  or claim  7  wherein said body portion is externally-threaded. 
     
     
       10. The implant of claim  6  wherein said top surface has a size and shape adapted to form a sealed margin with a prosthetic attachment. 
     
     
       11. The implant of claim  1  or claim  6  further comprising internal wrench-engaging surfaces inside said internally-threaded shaft, said optional implant extender having a distal portion of a size and shape appropriate to fit into said internally-threaded shaft, and a body portion that fits over the top surface and at least part of said neck portion of said implant.